THE former Vicar of Baghdad – Canon Andrew White – has set up his new non-profit charity Jerusalem Merit over the past year.

In late 2016, the Liphook-based cleric resigned from the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME) and no longer receives any support from the organisation.

Despite his ongoing health challenges from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which have confined him to a wheelchair more and more, he feels called to continue his relief and reconciliation work and his work with the ministries in Jordan, Israel, Palestine and other countries beyond the Middle East.

Major aspects of Canon White’s minstry work includes running a school and a clinic for Iraqi refugees in Jordan, as well as his relief and reconciliation work in Israel and Palestine, which are totally reliant on direct support from donations.

Jerusalem Merit is still waiting to receive its UK charitable status, which should be completed within the next three months.

On his Facebook page, Canon White says: “Our Christmas appeal this year is simply for our many children at school in Jordan, to give them a great party and buy them all a gift.”

He also delivered a short Christmas message about his ongoing work on Trinity Broadcasting Network UK and will be doing regular half-hour programmes with TBN every week in 2018.

Canon White spoke about Christmas in Baghdad – where the Iraqi government declared it had defeated the IS regime which had caused chaos since launching its self-proclaimed caliphate in 2014 and issued death threats against Canon White.

He said: “The Western world is already preparing for the great day on December 25.

“Presents are brought, copious amounts of food will be brought in preparation for the party to begin and decorations are prepared in homes and towns for the great day.

“In Baghdad things could not be more different. Christian people know the Big Eid (celebration) is coming.

“They know we are about to celebrate the coming of the Christ Child. There is no razzmatazz – the only decoration will be the Christmas tree in the church.

“Presents, well there simply are not any – apart from what the children get from the boxes given by Samaritans Purse. For the children there will be some joy and fun.

“Somebody will dress up as Papa Noel (Santa Claus) and give children their presents. The reality is that celebrations in Baghdad are totally different from the festivities elsewhere in the world.

“Christmas in Baghdad first and foremost is a time of spiritual celebration, simply a celebration of God coming to be amongst us in Jesus the Christ Child.

“Christmas is simply about our Lord amongst us.

“We celebrate the fact of his incarnation. There is no food or parties but a real celebration of faith. Christmas is a time of spiritual renewal, a time when we remember the Lord is indeed here and his spirit is amongst us.

“We pray for the remnant Iraqi Christian community still in Baghdad and in Kerada and for the 50 remaining congregants of St George’s Church.

“We also pray for the Iraqi refugee community in Jordan as well as for the persecuted Christians further afield in places like Pakistan.”

Canon White travelled to New Zealand, for the first time, visiting Aukland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington, where he held meetings with key Christian MP’s at the Beehive, the executive wing of the New Zealand parliament, as well as speaking at cathedrals in Hamilton and Wellington

He also visited many churches, including a Sunday Service at a Maori one.

In April, Canon White paid a secret visit to Baghdad to receive stem cell treatment for his worsening condition, which is only permitted in Western countries, in conjunction with radical chemotherapy.

While there he met with the now tiny Iraqi Jewish community and said on his Facebook page: “The needs of the Christians here are very great.

“The international Christian community is always saying it is working in Iraq but it is not.

“They go to Kurdistan which is a totally different world that I call pretend Iraq. It is a very affluent modern society with none of the desperate conditions of the real Iraq.”

Canon White’s wife Caroline’s is now also suffering from MS and has been confined to a wheelchair in 2017.

Their son Jacob, who has been raising money for the MS Trust, said: “Both my parents having MS has affected our whole family and I would like to raise as much money as possible for the charity - and will be shaving my head on New Year’s Day.”

•To support Jacob, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jctmw – to donate to Jerusalem Merit visit www. canonwhite.org for details.